Desensitized aspartokinase

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a novel aspartokinase derived from a Coryneform bacterium; a DNA encoding the enzyme; a recombinant DNA containing the above DNA; a Coryneform bacterium having the above recombinant DNA or a Coryneform bacterium having the DNA on its chromosome; and a process for producing L-lysine by culturing the above microorganism. Construction has been successfully made of a DNA encoding an aspartokinase freed from concerted feedback inhibition by L-lysine and L-threonine derived from a  Corynebacterium  and has a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence wherein the amino acid residue at position 311 is an amino acid other than Thr in the amino acid sequence shown by SEQ ID NO: 18.

This application is a US national stage 371 filing of PCT/JP00/02456 filed Apr. 14, 2000 and also claims benefit of priority to Japan 11/110437 filed Apr. 19, 1999.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel aspartokinase derived from a Coryneform bacterium; a DNA encoding said enzyme; a recombinant DNA containing said DNA; a Coryneform bacterium having said recombinant DNA or a Coryneform bacterium having said DNA on its chromosome; and a process for producing L-lysine by culturing said microorganism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following processes are known as processes for producing L-lysine by fermentation using a microorganism belonging to the genus Corynebacterium:

-   (1) As for processes which use mutants producing L-lysine, those     using an S-(2-aminoethyl)-cysteine (hereinafter abbreviated to as     “AEC”) resistant mutant [Amino Acid Fermentation (Aminosan Hakko),     1986, p.273, Japan Scientific Societies Press], an     L-homoserine-requiring mutant [Amino Acid Fermentation (Aminosan     Hakko), 1986, p.273, Japan Scientific Societies Press], a     respiration-inhibitor resistant mutant (Japanese Published Examined     Patent Application No. 55114/93), a pyrimidine analog resistant     mutant (Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No.     88094/84), and a purine analog resistant mutant (Japanese Published     Examined Patent Application No. 062199/88) have been known. -   (2) As for processes which use recombinant bacteria constructed with     gene recombination techniques, there have been disclosed a vector     plasmid which is self-replicating in a microorganism belonging to     the genus Corynebacterium and has a marker which provides a     selectable phenotype in the above microorganism, a process for     efficiently introducing the vector plasmid, and a process for     efficiently producing various L-amino acids including L-lysine by     increasing the intracellular copy number of genes involved in the     synthesis of the above amino acids using the above vector plasmids     (Japanese Published Examined Patent Application No.11959/93, and     Japanese Published Examined Patent Application 55155/95).

As for the control of L-lysine biosynthesis, a concerted feedback inhibition by L-lysine and L-threonine against aspartokinase (hereinafter abbreviated to as “AK”) which catalyzes the biosynthesis of aspartyl phosphate from L-aspartic acid is well known. It is known that a microorganism belonging to the genus Corynebacterium having a gene (hereinafter abbreviated to as “a desensitized AK gene”) encoding a mutant AK which has been freed from such a feedback inhibition (hereinafter abbreviated to as “a desensitized AK”) secretes L-lysine extracellularly (Amino Acid Fermentation (Aminosan Hakko), 1986, p.273, Japan Scientific Societies Press). If information of the nucleotide sequence of a mutation is available, a wild type gene can be converted into a mutant gene by utilizing a technique converting a nucleotide sequence into a desired form in a test tube [e.g. a process using a QuickChange Site-Directed Mutagenesis Kit (Stratagene)] with the above information in combination. Recently, the analysis of the above-mentioned desensitized AK gene at the nucleotide sequence level has been reported [Journal of Bacteriology, 175, 4096 (1993); Molecular Microbiology 5, 1197 (1991); Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 62866/94].

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to convert AK, a key enzyme for L-lysine biosynthesis in a Coryneform bacterium, into desensitized AK freed from concerted feedback inhibition by L-lysine and L-threonine and feedback inhibition by L-lysine alone so as to be advantageous for the production of L-lysine.

Through intensive studies to find a process for efficiently producing L-lysine with a Coryneform bacterium, the present inventors have found that a strain, which has a desensitized AK freed from both concerted feedback inhibition by L-lysine and L-threonine and feedback inhibition by L-lysine alone, has an excellent ability of producing L-lysine, thereby completing the present invention.

Thus, the present invention relates to the following (1) to (12).

-   (1) A DNA encoding an aspartokinase derived from a Coryneform     bacterium and has an amino acid sequence wherein the amino acid     residue at position 311 is substituted by an amino acid other than     Thr in the amino acid sequence shown by SEQ ID NO: 18, and which has     been freed from the concerted feedback inhibition by L-lysine and     L-threonine. -   (2) The DNA according to above (1), wherein the DNA has the     nucleotide sequence shown by SEQ ID NO: 17. -   (3) The DNA according to above (1), wherein the Coryneform bacterium     is one which belongs to a genus selected from the group consisting     of Corynebacterium and Brevibacterium. -   (4) A recombinant DNA capable of replicating in a Coryneform     bacterium, which is obtained by integrating the DNA according to any     one of above (1) to (3) into a vector. -   (5) A Coryneform bacterium having the DNA according to any one of     above (1) to (3) in its chromosome. -   (6) A transformant belonging to Coryneform bacterium which has the     recombinant DNA according to above (4). -   (7) The transformant according to above (6), wherein the     transformant is Corynebacterium glutamicum Tf-5 (FERM BP-6689). -   (8) A process for producing L-lysine, which comprises culturing a     microorganism or transformant selected from the Coryneform bacterium     according to above (5) and the transformant according to above (6)     and (7) in a medium; producing and accumulating L-lysine in a     culture; and collecting the L-lysine from said culture. -   (9) An aspartokinase encoded by the DNA according to any one of     above (1) to (3). -   (10) A DNA encoding an aspartokinase derived from a Coryneform     bacterium, and which has a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino     acid sequence wherein the amino acid residue at position 311 is Thr     in the amino acid sequence shown by SEQ ID NO: 18. -   (11) The DNA encoding an aspartokinase according to above (10),     which has a nucleotide sequence wherein the nucleotide at position     932 is substituted by cytosine in the nucleotide sequence shown by     SEQ ID NO: 17.

By using the DNA, a DNA encoding the aspartkinase of the above (1) can be provided.

-   (12) An aspartokinase encoded by the DNA according to any one of     above (10) or (11).

The present invention is described in detail below.

Any microorganism can be applied as a bacterium which provides DNA comprising a gene encoding AK (hereinafter abbreviated to as “an AK gene”), so long as the microorganism belongs to Coryneform bacteria and has an AK activity.

Examples of Coryneform bacteria in the present invention include Agrococcus, Agromyces, Arthrobacter, Aureobacterium, Brevibacterium, Cellulomonas, Clavibacter, Corynebacterium, Microbacterium, Rathayibacter, Terrabacter and Turicella. Preferred are Corynebacterium and Brevibacterium. Specific examples include the following strain.

Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13032, Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13869, Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13870, Corynebacterium callunae ATCC 15991 and Corynebacterium acetoglutamicum ATCC 15806.

A wild type strain provides a wild type AK gene which is subjected to the feedback inhibition by L-lysine, or by both L-lysine and L-threonine. An example of processes for obtaining a desensitized AK gene freed from such feedback inhibition from the wild type AK gene is a process which comprises performing a mutagenized operation on wild type strains [e.g. a process of using N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitroso guanidine (NTG), Microorganism Experiment Manual (Biseibutsu Jikken Manual), 1986, p.131, Kodansha Scientific], and obtaining the target gene from mutants which are selected by utilizing AEC resistance as an indicator and has a L-lysine productivity. Preferable mutants include, a L-lysine-producing bacterium obtained from wild type Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13032 by mutagenized treatment, or a strain comprising a desensitized AK gene which is acquired by obtaining a wild type AK gene, inducing mutagenesis to the gene by the above NTG method or in vitro mutagenized techniques (e.g. a process of using hydroxylamine, Molecular and General Genetics, 145, 101 (1978)), and desensitizing it with AEC resistance and L-lysine productivity as indicators.

An AK gene can be isolated from strains comprising AK genes by, for example, the method of Saitoh et al. [Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 72, 619 (1963)]. That is, a chromosomal DNA is prepared and then cleaved with an appropriate restriction enzyme. After cleavage, the obtained cleaved fragment is ligated to a vector (e.g. a plasmid) capable of self-replicating in a microorganism, followed by introduction into a host microorganism having no AK activity. A transformant expressing AK activity is selected from the microorganism, and then the target gene is obtained by isolation from the transformant.

Any microorganism can be used as a host microorganism, so long as an AK gene of Coryneform bacteria can be expressed in the microorganism. A preferred one is an AK defective strain of Escherichia coli.

Any vector can be used as a vector capable of self-replicating, so long as it can self-replicate in the microorganism into which the vector is introduced. Examples include vectors capable of self-replicating in Escherichia coli such as pUC18 (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.) and pBluescriptSK(−) (produced by Toyobo Co., Ltd.) and shuttle vectors capable of self-replicating both in Escherichia coli and in Coryneform bacteria such as pCE54 (Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 105999/83).

The ligation of a vector to a DNA fragment containing an AK gene can be carried out by an ordinary method of using T4DNA ligase and the like.

The introduction into a host can be carried out by the method of Hanahan et al. [Journal of Molecular Biology, 166, 557 (1983)] in the case where the host is Escherichia coli.

Furthermore, an AK gene can also be isolated by the following process.

Oligomeric DNA are synthesized based on the nucleotide sequence information of the known AK gene derived from Corynebacterium glutamicum [e.g. GenBank Accession No. E06825]. By using the DNA as a primer, a DNA fragment comprising the gene is then amplified by PCR and is isolated. The DNA fragment is ligated to a vector containing a selective marker gene, and is then introduced into an appropriate host microorganism such as Escherichia coli and Coryneform bacteria. An AK gene can be obtained by isolating the introduced vector from the microorganism. In this case, an AK defective strain is not necessarily used as a host microorganism.

Any vector can be applied as a vector used to prepare “the recombinant DNA capable of replicating in a Coryneform bacterium” of the present invention, so long as it is capable of self-replicating in a Coryneform bacterium. Specific examples include pCG1 (Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 134500/82), pCG2 (Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 35197/83), pCG4 (Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 183799/82), pCG11 (Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 134500/82), pCG116, pCE54 and pCB101 (each disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 105999/83), pCE51, pCE52 and pCE53 [Molecular and General Genetics, 196, 175 (1984)], pCS299P of which production process is described in the present invention, and the like. Preferably, vectors such as pCG116 and pCS299P, i.e., relatively small sized vectors having a large number of cloning sites and a selective marker gene such as a drug-resistant gene, are used.

Examples of methods for introducing the above recombinant DNA into a Coryneform bacterium include protoplast method [e.g. Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. 186492/82 and 18649/82] and electroporation [e.g. Journal of Bacteriology, 175, 4096 (1993)].

Any Coryneform bacterium can be used as a coryne bacterium having a DNA encoding the novel AK gene of the present invention on its chromosome, so long as the bacterium has the AK gene on its chromosome. Examples include a strain obtained by mutagenized operation; and a microorganism where the above DNA fragment is artificially inserted into its chromosome by homologous recombination [Bio/Technology, 9, 84 (1991)], methods of using a phage or transposon (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, 1996, p.2325 and p.2339, American Society for Microbiology) and the like.

By culturing the thus obtained transformant belonging to Coryneform bacteria which has a DNA comprising the novel AK gene, L-lysine can be produced and accumulated in a culture.

As a medium for culture, there can be used a common nutritive medium containing a carbon source, a nitrogen source, inorganic salts and the like.

Examples of carbon sources include saccharides such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and starch hydrolysate; alcohols such as ethanol; and organic acids such as acetic acid, lactic acid and succinic acid.

Examples of nitrogen sources include various types of inorganic and organic ammonium salts such as ammonia, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, ammonium carbonate and ammonium acetate; nitrogen-containing compounds such as urea or others; and nitrogen-containing organic substances such as meat extract, yeast extract, corn steep liquor and soybean hydrolysate.

Examples of inorganic salts to be used include potassium dihydrogen phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, ammonium sulfate, sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate and calcium carbonate.

In addition, trace nutritive sources such as biotin and thiamine can be added as appropriate. Additives for a medium such as meat extract, yeast extract, corn steep liquor and casamino acid may be used instead of these trace nutritive sources.

Culturing is carried out under aerobic conditions, such as a shaking culturing and a submerged-aerated-agitated culturing. Generally, the culturing temperature is preferably 20 to 40° C. The pH of the medium is preferably maintained around neutral. The regulation of pH is carried out using inorganic or organic acid, an alkaline solution, urea, calcium carbonate, ammonia and the like. The culturing period is usually for 1 to 6 days.

After completion of the culture, cells are removed. L-lysine can be collected from the obtained culture by known methods such as activated carbon treatment and ion exchange resin treatment.

The present invention is further described in the following examples. The present invention is not limited to these examples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1: FIG. 1 is an illustration of a process for constructing pCS299P.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION EXAMPLE 1 Construction of Plasmid pCS299P

Shuttle plasmid pCS299P capable of self-replication in both E. coli and Coryneform bacteria was constructed as follows.

pCG116 [Bio/Technology, 11, 921 (1993)] was cleaved with BglII (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.) to give a BglII-cleaved fragment.

After pHSG299 (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.) was cleaved with BamHI (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.), the resulting BamHI-cleaved fragment was concentrated by ethanol precipitation according to a general method, and then treated with alkaline phosphatase. The thus obtained two fragments were mixed together and subjected to a ligase reaction using a Ligation Kit Ver. 1 (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.). The reaction product was used to transform E. coli NM522 according to a standard protocol [Molecular Cloning, Second Edition, 1989, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (hereinafter, referred to as “Molecular Cloning, 2^(nd) Ed.”)]. The strain was cultured on LB agar medium containing 20 μg/ml kanamycin [10 g of Bactotrypton (produced by Difco), 5 g of yeast extract (produced by Difco), 10 g of sodium chloride and 16 g of Bactoagar (produced by Difco) per liter of water, adjusted to pH 7.0], thereby selecting transformants. The transformants were cultured overnight in LB medium containing 20 μg/ml kanamycin, and then plasmids were prepared from the obtained culture by the alkaline SDS method (Molecular Cloning, 2^(nd) Ed.), thereby obtaining pCS116-299BglI DNA.

Restriction enzyme cleavage sites of the resulting pCS116-299BglI were confirmed in a general manner.

The pCS116-299BglI DNA was used to transform Corynebacterium ammoniagenes strain ATCC6872 by electroporation [FEMS Microbiology Letters, 65, 299, (1989)].

The strains were cultured on CM agar medium containing 20 μg/ml kanamycin [10 g of Polypeptone S (produced by Nihon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), 5 g of Yeast Extract S (produced by Nihon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), 10 g of Ehrlich's meat extract (produced by Kyokuto Pharmaceutical Industrial Co., Ltd.), 3 g of sodium chloride and 30 μg of biotin per liter of water, adjusted to pH 7.2], thereby selecting transformants. The transformants were treated in a general method to extract plasmids, which were then cleaved with restriction enzymes to confirm that the plasmid was pCS 116-299BglI.

The pCS116-299BglI DNA was cleaved with PstI (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.) and BamHI and then purified by ethanol precipitation. Partially deleted plasmids were obtained from the resulting DNA using a Kilo-Sequencing Deletion Kit (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.). Each of the plasmids was used to transform E. coli strain NM522 in a general manner. The strains were cultured on LB agar medium containing 20 μg/ml kanamycin to select transformants. The transformants were cultured overnight in LB medium containing 20 μg/ml kanamycin, and then plasmids were prepared from the obtained culture by the alkaline SDS method. According to standard protocols, a restriction enzyme map for each plasmid was created to select a series of partially deleted plasmids of different deletion lengths.

Each of the selected plasmids was used to transform Corynebacterium ammoniagenes ATCC6872 by electroporation. The resulting transformants were inoculated onto CM agar medium containing 20 μg/ml kanamycin, and then cultured at 30° C. for 2 days to select a plasmid capable of self-replication in Corynebacterium ammoniagenes by utilizing the presence or absence of developed colonies resistant to kanamycin as an indicator.

From among the plasmids capable of self-replication, a plasmid having the longest deletion region was selected and designated pCS299de16.

The pCS299de16 DNA was prepared from the transformant in a general manner, and then cleaved with restriction enzymes DraI and PvuII (each produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.). The cleaved DNA fragments were fractionated by agarose gel electrophoresis to isolate a DNA fragment of approximately 2.7 kb having a pCG16-derived DNA, which was then extracted and purified using a DNA Prep Kit (produced by Asahi Glass Company).

pBluescript SK(+)(produced by Toyobo Co., Ltd.) DNA was cleaved with EcoRV (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.) in a general manner. The resulting cleaved DNA fragments were concentrated by ethanol precipitation and then treated with alkaline phosphatase. The thus treated DNA fragments were fractionated by agarose gel electrophoresis, followed by extraction and purification using a DNA Prep Kit.

After the above 2.7 kb fragment and the pBluescript SK(+) fragment were ligated using a Ligation Kit Ver. 1, the ligated DNA was used to transform E. coli strain NM522 in a general manner. The strains were cultured on LB agar medium containing 100 μg/ml ampicillin, 50 μg/ml X-Gal (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoyl-β-D-galactoside) and 1 mmol/l IPTG (isopropylthio-β-D-galacto side), thereby selecting transformants. The transformants were cultured overnight in LB medium containing 100 μg/ml ampicillin, and then plasmids were prepared from the obtained culture by the alkaline SDS method. According to standard protocols, a restriction enzyme map for each plasmid was made. A plasmid which provided 3.4 kb and 2 kb fragments by cleavage with EcoRI was designated pCSSK21.

DNAs shown by SEQ ID NOs: 1 and 2 were synthesized and were used as PCR primers. PCR reaction was carried out using pHSG299DNA as a template and using Taq DNA polymerase (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.) under the manufacturer's recommended reaction conditions. The reaction product was precipitated with ethanol in a general method, and then cleaved with restriction enzymes PstI and XhoI (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.). The cleaved DNA fragments were fractionated by agarose gel electrophoresis to isolate a DNA fragment of approximately 1.3 kb, which was then extracted and purified using a DNA Prep Kit.

DNAs shown by SEQ ID NOs: 3 and 4 were synthesized and were used as PCR primers. PCR reaction was carried out using pHSG299DNA as a template and using Taq DNA polymerase under the manufacturer's recommended reaction conditions. The reaction product was precipitated with ethanol in a general method, and then cleaved with restriction enzymes PstI and BglII. The cleaved DNA fragments were fractionated by agarose gel electrophoresis to isolate a DNA fragment of approximately 1.3 kb, which was then extracted and purified using a DNA Prep Kit.

The plasmid pCSSK21 obtained above was cleaved with SalI (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.) and BamHI. The cleaved DNA fragments were fractionated by agarose gel electrophoresis to isolate a DNA fragment of approximately 2.7 kb, which was then extracted and purified using a DNA Prep Kit. These three extracted and purified DNA fragments were mixed together and ligated using a Ligation Kit Ver. 1.

The ligated DNA fragment was used to transform E. coli strain NM522 in a general method. The strain was cultured on LB agar medium containing 20 μg/ml kanamycin, 50 μg/ml X-Gal and 1 mmol/l IPTG, thereby selecting transformants.

The transformants were cultured overnight in LB medium containing 20 μg/ml kanamycin, and then plasmids were prepared from the obtained culture by the alkaline SDS method. According to standard protocols, a restriction enzyme map for each plasmid was created. A plasmid having the structure shown in FIG. 1 was designated pCS299P.

EXAMPLE 2 Generation of L-lysine Producing Mutant and Determination of Nucleotide Sequence of AK Gene Derived Therefrom

Corynebacterium glutamicum wild-type strain (ATCC13032) was subjected to NTG mutagenesis (see Experimental Manual for Microorganisms, 1986, p. 131, Kodansha Scientific), and then spread onto a minimal agar medium containing 1 mg/ml AEC and 1 mg/ml L-threonine [5 g of glucose, 0.75 g of dipotassium monohydrogen phosphate, 0.75 g of monopotassium dihydrogen phosphate, 1 g of ammonium sulfate, 0.5 g of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, 0.1 g of sodium chloride, 10 mg of ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, 8 mg of manganese sulfate heptahydrate, 1 mg of calcium hydrochloride, 1 mg of thiamine hydrochloride, 0.03 mg of biotin and 16 g of agar (produced by Difco) per liter of water, adjusted to pH 7.2], followed by culturing at 30° C. for 2 days. The developed colonies were isolated and tested for their L-lysine productivity by the procedures shown in Example 5 below, thereby selecting clones having improved productivity.

From one of the selected clones (desigated AEC11) and the wild-type strain ATCC13032, AK gene was amplified by PCR as mentioned below, and the nucleotide sequence was determined.

Chromosomal DNA was prepared from each strain by the method of Saitoh et al. [Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 72, 619 (1963)]. Based on the nucleotide sequence of AK gene known in Corynebacterium glutamicum strain ATCC 13869 [GenBank, Accession No. E06825], DNA primers for amplification were designed. The nucleotide sequences of the DNA primers were shown by SEQ ID NOs: 5 and 6. PCR was carried out using the chromosomal DNA prepared above, the DNA primers, Perkin Elmer's Thermal Cycler (GeneAmp PCR System 9600), DNA polymerase derived from Phyrococcus sp. KOD (produced by Toyobo Co., Ltd.) and a buffer attached thereto. PCR was repeated for 30 cycles, each cycle of which consists of reactions at 94° C. for 30 seconds, at 60° C. for 30 seconds, and at 74° C. for 60 seconds. An amplified DNA fragment of approximately 1.5 kb was purified using a PCR Product Presequencing Kit (produced by Amersham Pharmacia). The purified DNA was used as a template for cycle sequencing. DNA primers for the sequencing reaction were designed based on the nucleotide sequence of above AK gene. The nucleotide sequences of the DNA primers were shown by SEQ ID NOs: 7 to 16. The cycle sequencing reaction was repeated for 25 cycles using an ABI PRISM Dye Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction Kit (manufactured by Perkin Elmer), each cycle of which consists of reactions at 96° C. for 10 seconds, at 50° C. for 5 seconds, and at 60° C. for 4 minutes. The nucleotide sequence was determined using an ABI PRISM 377 DNA Sequencing System (manufactured by Perkin Elmer).

The nucleotide,sequence of the mutated AK gene derived from the strain AEC11 and the corresponding amino acid sequence of the open reading frame are shown by SEQ ID NOs: 17 and 18. The nucleotide sequence of the mutated AK gene shown by SEQ ID NO: 17 had thymine at position 932, whereas the wild-type AK gene had cytosine at the same position. This nucleotide substitution resulted in an amino acid replacement of L-threonine residue (codon: ACC) at position 311 in the wild-type AK to isoleucine residue (codon: ATC) in the AEC11-derived AK gene. There are reports of mutations providing a desensitized Corynebacterium glutamicum AK gene, such as mutation of Ala279 to any amino acid other than Ala (Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. 62866/94 and 261766/94), Gly345Asp [Journal of Bacteriology, 175, 4096 (1993)], Ser301Tyr [Molecular Microbiology, 5, 1197 (1991)], Ser301Phe and Thr308Ile (each of which is described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 261766/94). However, none of these mutations corresponded to the above mutation at position 331.

EXAMPLE 3 Cloning of the Mutated AK Gene and Introduction Thereof Into Coryneform Bacteria

Effects of the above mutation on the L-lysine productivity were evaluated as follows.

The AK genes were cloned from each of Corynebacterium glutamicum wild-type strain (ATCC13032) and L-lysine producing strain AEC11 by PCR method. A gene fragment of approximately 1.5 kb containing the ATCC 13032- or AEC11-derived AK gene obtained in the same manner as described in Example 2 was treated with SalII and BamHI (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.), subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis, excised from the gel, and purified using a Gene Clean Kit (BIO 101). The shuttle vector pCS299P capable of self-replication in both E. coli cells and Coryneform bacteria shown by Example 1 was cleaved with SalI and BamHI and then ligated to the above AK gene fragment using a Ligation Kit Ver. 1 (produced by Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd.). The ligated product was used to transform E. coli strain DH5 a (produced by Toyobo Co., Ltd.) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Colonies growing on LB agar medium containing 100 μg/ml of ampicillin were isolated. These colonies were cultured to prepare plasmid DNA in the same manner as described in Example 1. The nucleotide sequence was determined according to the procedures shown in Example 2, thereby selecting clones bearing no PCR-based mutation. Among these selected clones, a plasmid carrying the ATCC13032-derived AK gene was designated pAK1, while a plasmid carrying the AEC11-derived AK gene was designated pAK2.

EXAMPLE 4 Enzymatic Analysis of Corynebacterium glutamicum Wild-type AK and the Mutated AK

The plasmid pAK1, pAK2 or pCS299P was introduced into Corynebacterium glutamicum wild-type strain ATCC13032 by electroporation, respectively [FEMS Microbiology Letters, 65, 299 (1989)]. The resulting strains carrying the plasmid pAK1, pAK2 or pCS299P was designated Tf-14, Tf-5 or Tf-21, respectively. These transformants were assayed for their AK activity by the method of Follettie et al. [Journal of Bacteriology, 175, 4096 (1993)].

AK specific activities of crude extracts from the transformants are shown in Table 1.

The strains into which the AK gene-carrying plasmids had been introduced (Tf-14 and Tf-5) were shown to have AK specific activity approximately 6 times greater than the strain containing the vector (Tf-21). Tf-5 was proven to have been freed from not only concerted inhibition by L-lysine and L-threonine, but also feedback inhibition by L-lysine significantly.

Tf-5 was deposited on Apr. 2, 1999 with National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (1-3, Higashi 1-chome, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan) under accession No. FERM BP-6689.

TABLE 1 AK specific activity (nmol Aspartyl-hydroxamate/mg protein/min) Without L-Lys L-Thr L-Lys + L-Thr Strain addition 1 mM 10 mM 1 mM 10 mM 1 mM each 10 mM each Tf-21  2.8 Tf-14 17.3 16.5 9.7 23.1 24.3  4.8  1.2 (100)  (96) (56) (133) (140)  (28)  (7) Tf-5 16.7 16.7 15   30.9 35.8 18.2 18.4 (100) (100) (89) (185) (215) (109) (110) * A value in a parenthesis is a relative activity (%) to the specific activity observed without addition, which is set to 100.

EXAMPLE 5 Effects of Mutated AK on L-lysine Productivity in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Tf-5, Tf-14 and Tf-21 prepared in Example 4 were cultured and evaluated for their L-lysine productivity.

Each strain was inoculated into 5 ml of a seed medium (50 g of sucrose, 30 g of soybean hydrolysate, 3 g of urea, 20 g of peptone, 20 g of casamino acid, 20 g of meat extract, 0.5 g of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, 2 g of monopotassium dihydrogen phosphate, 8 g of ammonium sulfate, 1 mg of thiamine hydrochloride, 0.1 mg of biotin, 10 mg of calcium pantothenate, 10 mg of ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, 1 mg of zinc sulfate heptahydrate, 20 mg of nicotinic acid and 10 g of calcium carbonate per liter of water, pH 7.2), followed by culturing under shaking at 30° C. for 16 hours.

One ml of the resulting seed culture was inoculated into 10 ml of a main culture medium (200 g of molasses waste, 45 g of ammonium sulfate, 1 g of urea, 0.5 g of monopotassium dihydrogen phosphate, 0.5 g of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, 0.3 mg of biotin and 30 g of calcium carbonate per liter of water, pH 7.0), followed by culturing under shaking at 30° C. for 72 hours. The plasmid-carrying ratio at the end of the culturing was measured based on the kanamycin-resistance which was a drug resistance marker of the plasmid. Each strain stably carried the plasmid with the ration of almost 100%.

The amount of L-lysine accumulated in the medium was measured by high performance liquid chromatography.

Results were shown in Table 2.

It was shown that the productivity of L-lysine was significantly improved by the introduction of the mutated AK gene of the present invention.

TABLE 2 Strain L-lysine production (g/L) Tf-21 0.1 Tf-14 0.1 Tf-5 8.1

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention, the key enzyme for L-lysine biosynthesis in a Coryneform bacterium, AK, can be modified to give a desensitized form that is freed from concerted inhibition by L-lysine and L-threonine and feedback inhibition by lysine alone, and this desensitized AK is useful for L-lysine production.

Sequence Listing Free Text

-   -   SEQ ID NO: 1 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 2 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 3 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 4 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 5 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 6 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 7 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 8 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 9 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 10 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 11 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 12 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 13 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 14 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 15 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA     -   SEQ ID NO: 16 description of artificial sequence: synthetic DNA 

1. An isolated DNA encoding an aspartokinase derived from a Coryneform bacterium and having an amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 18, with a substitution at position 311 by any amino acid other than Thr and which has been freed from the concerted feedback inhibition by L-lysine and L-threonine.
 2. The DNA according to claim 1, wherein, the amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO: 18 is encoded by SEQ. ID NO:
 17. 3. The DNA according to claim 1, wherein the Coryneform bacterium belongs to a genus selected from the group consisting of Corynebacterium and Brevibacterium.
 4. A recombinant DNA capable of replicating in a Coryneform bacterium, which is obtained by integrating the DNA according to any one of claims 1 to 3 into a vector.
 5. A Coryneform bacterium having the DNA according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in its chromosome.
 6. A transformant belonging to Coryneform bacterium which harbors the recombinant DNA according to claim
 4. 7. The transformant according to claim 6, wherein the transformant is Corynebacterium glutamicum Tf-5 (FERM BP-6689).
 8. A process for producing L-lysine, which comprises: culturing in a medium a Coryneform bacterium according to claim 5 or a Coryneform transformant harboring DNA according to any of claims 1-3; producing and accumulating L-lysine in a culture; and collecting the L-lysine from said culture.
 9. An isolated aspartokinase encoded by the DNA according to any one of claims 1 to
 3. 10. The DNA encoding an aspartokinase according to any one of claims 1-3, having a nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:17, with a substitution at position 932 by cytosine.
 11. An aspartokinase encoded by the DNA according to claim
 10. 12. An isolated DNA encoding an aspartokinase having an amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:
 18. 13. An isolated DNA having a nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:17.
 14. A method of producing Coryneform bacterium which has chromosomal DNA encoding an aspartokinase with an amino acid sequence shown by SEQ ID No.18 in which the amino acid at position 311 is substituted by an amino acid other than Thr, the aspartokinase being freed from the concerted feedback inhibition by L-lysine and L-threonine, comprising the steps of (a) to (c): (a) introducing into Coryneform bacterium a DNA comprising said DNA encoding an aspartokinase having an amino acid shown by SEQ ID NO.18 in which the amino acid at position 311 is substituted by any amino acid other than Thr, or a DNA which comprises a fragment of said DNA encoding aspartokinase activity comprising the codon corresponding to the substituted amino acid residue at the position 311 in SEQ ID NO: 18; (b) carrying out recombination of the DNA of step (a) and chromosomal DNA of Coryneform bacterium; and (c) selecting Coryneform bacterium transformed with said DNA of step (a).
 15. The method of producing Coryneform bacterium according to claim 14, wherein said amino acid at position 311 is Ile. 